Happenstance
by paynesgrey
Summary: Echo's personality Maria is very persistent to complete her Engagement, even if it means enlisting Boyd. imprinted!Echo x Boyd. Middle Season 1 spoilers. This is a oneshot and will not be continued.


AN: Written for a drabble request meme for akuneko42 on Livejournal.

Happenstance

He noticed her distress before she even stepped inside the vehicle, but Boyd knew it wasn't _real_ distress. Rather it was fabricated for Echo's ending Engagement, Maria. She pouted at him on the other side of the van, and he leaned back into the seat and furrowed his brow. Boyd didn't like that look on her face, and he'd taken care of her long enough to be protective of her. Also, he couldn't deny that when some of Echo's engagements went wrong, things ..._unpredictable_ things just sort of happened.

He hoped the Treatment would take care of that before _Maria_ did anything rash.

"What a disappointment," she said mournfully. "He was supposed to kiss me."

"Maria..." Boyd started. It irked him that he had to call her that.

"It was supposed to be our first." She whined like a petulant child, but Boyd knew the full reason for her unease. The Dollhouse assigned her to man who had never been kissed. James Finroy had been too caught up in school, his research, and his success to ever be with a woman. He had called up the Dollhouse searching for something in his life that he'd always regretted - never kissing his female best friend, a shy and smart girl he'd always loved. Hesitation and fear had prevented him from making the first move, and then Maria had moved away back to Spain never to be contacted again. Boyd sighed. It seemed romantic enough, and apparently, despite Topher's ingenious personality wedge of a similar Maria, James didn't close the deal this time either.

"He said it didn't feel right. That it was _wrong_," she complained, snapping him out of his thoughts. She reached over from the van and grabbed his arm, trying to get his full attention. "How can a first kiss be wrong?"

Boyd shrugged off her hand politely and said with a smile, "The Treatment will take care of that."

Maria threw up her hands in aggravation. "Sure, sure, the Treatment will fix _everything_. But it isn't the same as being kissed!" Boyd raised an eyebrow in surprise. Echo was the only Active he'd seen give such diverse reactions to the "Treatment" code word. She looked at him pleadingly. "Am I right?"

She had a point there. Kissing was definitely better than getting your brain pinched over and over again. He nodded.

She folded her arms and blew out a heavy sigh. "This just isn't right. James was supposed to be my first kiss, and I was supposed to be his. It was destiny."

Okay, Boyd thought, that was pushing it. He firmly held back an expression of distaste from the sappiness of this Engagement.

"I'm sorry, Maria," Boyd said soothingly. In a way, he really meant it. He didn't want his Active to be so upset, no matter what Engagement she was undergoing.

Suddenly, Maria popped out of her seat and joined him on his side of the van, and she startled him when she took his hand. "I want to be kissed. I can't think straight until it's done."

Boyd froze. Uh oh. He didn't like where this was going. Her dark eyes captured him with desperation. "Kiss me. I trust you."

Immediately he pulled back. This was definitely not part of acceptable protocol for Handlers. "I'll kiss you after the Treatment. Promise," he said with a weak smile.

Maria flung out her arm in disgust and snarled. "Screw the Treatment! Kiss me now!"

Boyd looked over his shoulder, and the driver of the van had on his iPod headphones, totally oblivious to what was going on in the back. However, that didn't matter to Boyd.

"I can't," he protested.

Maria leaned closer, and he watched her lick her lips. He leaned back as far as he could, but she was still inching closer and closer. Of course, Echo was beautiful and he cared about her, but this kiss was not right. He felt guilty about it, and he hadn't even consented. Also, if Adelle DeWitt found out about this, he might be penalized. Echo might even be given to another Handler, and Boyd really didn't want that. He was almost afraid of being torn away from Echo.

He tried to slink away, but Maria had caught his upper arms, and she pushed him back. Boyd gaped at her forwardness, and suddenly he realized that opening his mouth was not the smartest thing to do. In an instant, Maria's lips were over his, pushing past his teeth and sliding her tongue inside.

Boyd's first thought was that she tasted nice, _great_ in fact, and he probably shouldn't have been enjoying this as much as he was. He felt her giggle against his lips, and he heard a quick smack before she pulled away. She looked at him dreamily, tracing her fingers over the lips that had been on his only seconds ago.

"Mmm... that was nice," she said, settling into the seat next to him. She gave him a satisfied smirk and stared at him like a playful kitten. Boyd moistened his lips automatically, and though his body was sending him signals it shouldn't, he sat back and gave her a authoritative scowl.

"I trust you're ready for your Treatment now?" he said, and anxiety caused his tone to be harsh.

Maria continued rubbing her fingers over her lips, and she looked as if she was ready to snuggle with him. "Hmmm, after that kiss, I could have a hundred Treatments," she replied lazily.

Boyd seriously doubted that. However, he couldn't begrudge her; it really had been an enjoyable kiss.

Unfortunately for his sake, it just couldn't happen again.

END


End file.
